1. SUMMARY: THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE EUROPEAN TRADE
UNION CONFEDERATION (ETUC) WILL MEET IN GENEVA ON
SEPTEMBER 26. THE MEETING WILL BE PRECEDED BY A MEETING OF
THE ETUC PRESIDIUM ON SEPTEMBER 25. PRINCIPAL AGENDA ITEMS
WILL BE THE FILLING OF VACANCIES AT THE ETUC SECRETARIAT
AND PREPARATION FOR THE PROPOSED EC TRIPARTITE CONFERENCE
ON EMPLOYMENT. THE FRENCH CGT APPLICATION FOR ETUC MEMBER-
LIMITED OFFICIAL USE
LIMITED OFFICIAL USE
PAGE 02 EC BRU 08298 171845Z
SHIP WILL NOT BE ON THE AGENDA. END SUMMARY.
2. PURSUANT TO AN EARLIER EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE DECISION
TO HOLD AT LEAST ONE OF ITS MEETINGS OUTSIDE OF BRUSSELS
EACH YEAR, THE ETUC EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE WILL MEET AT
EFTA HEADQUARTERS IN GENEVA ON SEPTEMBER 26. ACCORDING
TO ETUC ASSISTANT SECRETARY JEAN KULAKOWSKI, THE FRENCH
CGT MEMBERSHIP ISSUE WILL NOT BE INCLUDED IN THE AGENDA
FOR THE MEETING. KULAKOWSKI TOLD US THAT THE CGT
MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION WILL PROBABLY REMAIN SHELVED
UNTIL SUCH TIME AS ETUC PRESIDENT VETTER MEETS WITH CGT
LEADER SEGUY IN ACCORDANCE WITH AN ETUC EXECUTIVE
COMMITTEE DECISION LAST FEBRUARY (SEE EC BRUSSELS 1153).
THUS FAR, VETTER HAS EVADED A MEETING WITH SEGUY
CLAIMING SCHEDULING DIFFICULTIES.
3. KULAKOWSKI BELIEVES THAT THE VETTER-CGT MEETING WILL
EVENTUALLY TKAE PLACE BUT THAT WHEN IT DOES IT WILL NOT
NECESSARILY CONTRIBUTE TO FINAL RESOLUTION OF THE CGT
QUESTION. KULAKOWSKI ATTRIBUTES THIS TO VETTER'S WELL
KNOWN OPPOSITION TO CGT MEMBERSHIP WHICH HAS BEEN
SIGNIFICANTLY FORTIFIED BY THE OPPOSITION OF THE ITALIAN
NATIONAL TRADE UNION CENTERS, PARTICULARLY THE CGIL,
TO CGT ENTRY. ADDITIONALLY, THERE HAS BEEN A DISCERNIBLE
DECLINE IN ENTHUSIASM AMONG CERTAIN ETUC AFFILIATES WHO
HAVE SUPPORTED THE CGT BID FOR MEMBERSHIP IN THE PAST
BUT NOW TAKE A DIM VIEW OF CGT SUPPORT OF THE COMMUNISTS
IN PORTUGAL, AND ARE ALSO DISTURBED BY THE CGT'S
UNWILLINGNESS TO MODIFY ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH THE
COMMUNIST WFTU. HERETOFORE, VETTER AND THE FERMAN
DGB HAVE BEEN ISOLATED WITH THE FRENCH FO IN THEIR
OPPOSITION OT THE CGT. FOR THE TIME BEING, VETTER SEEMS
TO BE IN THE DRIVERS SEAT AND IN THE VIEW OF MOST LABOR
OBSERVERS HERE, THE CGT MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION HAS BEEN
EFFECTIVELY SIDETRACKED FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE
BARRING ANY DRAMATIC CHANGES.
4. THE HIGHEST PRIORITY ITEM ON THE SEPTEMBER 26
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA WILL BE THE QUESTION
OF FILLING VACANCIES AT THE ETUC SECRETARIAT. THE
COMMITTEE IS EXPECTED TO APPOINT A NEW ASSISTANT SECRETARY
LIMITED OFFICIAL USE
LIMITED OFFICIAL USE
PAGE 03 EC BRU 08298 171845Z
TO REPLACE THE LATE ALFRED MISSLIN WHO DIED LAST
FEBRUARY. THE ABSENCE O FMISSLIN, WHO WAS CONSIDERED
THE WORK HORSE OF THE ETUC STAFF, HAS BEEN DOUBLY
FELT BECAUSE OF THE SERIOUS ILLNESS OF ASSISTANT
SECRETARY WALTER BRAUN WHO HAS BEEN ABSENT FROM BRUSSELS
FOR SEVERAL WEEKS. THERE IS SOME DOUBT THAT BRAUN,
WHO UNDERWENT MAJOR SURGERY, WILL BE ABLE TO RETURN.
THEO RASSCHAERT CONTINUES TO FUNCTION AS GENERAL
SECRETARY, BUT WITH HIS RESIGNATION ALREADY ACCEPTED
AND HIS YEAR END DEPARTURE CERTAIN, HIS PERFORMANCE,
HARDLY AWE INSPIRING UNDER THE BEST OF CIRCUMSTANCES,
REFLECTS THE LAME DUCK NATURE OF HIS STATUS. THIS
LEAVES KULAKOWSKI AND THE INEFFECTIVE ASSISTANT GENERAL
SECRETARY, PEER CARLSEN, AS THE ONLY FULLY FUNCTIONING
SECRETARIAT OFFICIALS AND BARELY ABLE TO COPE WITH
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS OF THE ORGANIZATION.
5. REGARDING THE SUCCESSOR TO RASSCHAERT, KULAKOWSKI
TOLD US THAT HE IS NOT A CANDIDATE FOR THE JOB ALTHOUGH
HE WOULD BE WILLING TO SERVE IF CHOSEN BY THE EXECUTIVE
COMMITTEE. HOWEVER, HE THINKS THER IS LITTE CHANCE
OF THIS OCCURRING BECAUSE OF HIS CHRISTIAN TRADE UNION
ANTECEDENTS. HE ALSO TOLD US THAT CARLSEN IS ACTIVELY
SEEKING THE JOB ALTHOUGH HE HAS BEEN UNABLE TO DETECT
ANY REAL ENTHUSIASM FOR CARLSEN'S CANDIDACY OUTSIDE THE
LATTER'S NATIVE DANISH LO. LULAKOWSKI EXPECTES THE
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE TO AT LEAST NAME A REPLACEMENT FOR
MISSLIN AT THE GENEVA MEETING, BUT HE IS SOMEWHAT
DOUBLFUL THAT A SUCCESSOR FOR RASSCHAERT WILL BE CHOSEN
BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR.
6. MUCH OF THE SEPTEMBER 26 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING
WILL BE DEVOTED TO PREPARATION FOR THE PROPOSED EC
TRIPARTITE CONFERENCE ON EMPLOYMENT WHICH THE ETUC
HAS ADVOCATED FOR MORE THAN A YEAR. LAST JULY, THE
EUROPEAN COUNCIL "ACCEPTED THE IDEA" OF HOLDING THE
CONFERENCE, WHICH WOULD INVOLVE REPRESENTATIVES OF
TRADE UNIONS AND EMPLOYER ORGANIZATIONS AND THE
MINISTERS OF LABOR AND FINANCE FROM THE NINE MEMBER
STATES (SEE EC BRUSSELS 6426). THE COUNCIL DID NOT
SPECIFY A DATE FOR THE CONFERENCE BUT THE ETUC HAS
LIMITED OFFICIAL USE
LIMITED OFFICIAL USE
PAGE 04 EC BRU 08298 171845Z
RECOMMENDED THAT IT BE HELD IN DECEMBER.
GREENWALD
LIMITED OFFICIAL USE
NNN

Raw content

LIMITED OFFICIAL USE
PAGE 01 EC BRU 08298 171845Z
73
ACTION EUR-12
INFO OCT-01 ISO-00 CIAE-00 COME-00 EB-07 INR-07 LAB-04
NSAE-00 SIL-01 AID-05 CEA-01 FRB-03 CIEP-01 SP-02
STR-04 TRSE-00 SAM-01 OMB-01 PA-01 PRS-01 USIA-06
/058 W
--------------------- 008055
R 171735Z SEP 75
FM USMISSION EC BRUSSELS
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 9570
INFO ALL EC CAPITALS 1078
AMEMBASSY BERN
AMEMBASSY HELSINKI
AMEMBASSY MADRID
AMEMBASSY MOSCOW
AMEMBASSY OSLO
AMEMBASSY PRAGUE
AMEMBASSY REYKJAVIK
AMEMBASSY STOCKHOLM
AMEMBASSY VALLETTA
AMEMBASSY VIENNA
USMISSION NATO BRUSSELS
LIMITED OFFICIAL USE EC BRUSSELS 08298
E.O. 11652: NA
TAGS: ELAB, XT, EEC
SUBJECT: ETUC EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE TO MEET IN GENEVA ON SEPTEMBER 26
1. SUMMARY: THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE EUROPEAN TRADE
UNION CONFEDERATION (ETUC) WILL MEET IN GENEVA ON
SEPTEMBER 26. THE MEETING WILL BE PRECEDED BY A MEETING OF
THE ETUC PRESIDIUM ON SEPTEMBER 25. PRINCIPAL AGENDA ITEMS
WILL BE THE FILLING OF VACANCIES AT THE ETUC SECRETARIAT
AND PREPARATION FOR THE PROPOSED EC TRIPARTITE CONFERENCE
ON EMPLOYMENT. THE FRENCH CGT APPLICATION FOR ETUC MEMBER-
LIMITED OFFICIAL USE
LIMITED OFFICIAL USE
PAGE 02 EC BRU 08298 171845Z
SHIP WILL NOT BE ON THE AGENDA. END SUMMARY.
2. PURSUANT TO AN EARLIER EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE DECISION
TO HOLD AT LEAST ONE OF ITS MEETINGS OUTSIDE OF BRUSSELS
EACH YEAR, THE ETUC EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE WILL MEET AT
EFTA HEADQUARTERS IN GENEVA ON SEPTEMBER 26. ACCORDING
TO ETUC ASSISTANT SECRETARY JEAN KULAKOWSKI, THE FRENCH
CGT MEMBERSHIP ISSUE WILL NOT BE INCLUDED IN THE AGENDA
FOR THE MEETING. KULAKOWSKI TOLD US THAT THE CGT
MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION WILL PROBABLY REMAIN SHELVED
UNTIL SUCH TIME AS ETUC PRESIDENT VETTER MEETS WITH CGT
LEADER SEGUY IN ACCORDANCE WITH AN ETUC EXECUTIVE
COMMITTEE DECISION LAST FEBRUARY (SEE EC BRUSSELS 1153).
THUS FAR, VETTER HAS EVADED A MEETING WITH SEGUY
CLAIMING SCHEDULING DIFFICULTIES.
3. KULAKOWSKI BELIEVES THAT THE VETTER-CGT MEETING WILL
EVENTUALLY TKAE PLACE BUT THAT WHEN IT DOES IT WILL NOT
NECESSARILY CONTRIBUTE TO FINAL RESOLUTION OF THE CGT
QUESTION. KULAKOWSKI ATTRIBUTES THIS TO VETTER'S WELL
KNOWN OPPOSITION TO CGT MEMBERSHIP WHICH HAS BEEN
SIGNIFICANTLY FORTIFIED BY THE OPPOSITION OF THE ITALIAN
NATIONAL TRADE UNION CENTERS, PARTICULARLY THE CGIL,
TO CGT ENTRY. ADDITIONALLY, THERE HAS BEEN A DISCERNIBLE
DECLINE IN ENTHUSIASM AMONG CERTAIN ETUC AFFILIATES WHO
HAVE SUPPORTED THE CGT BID FOR MEMBERSHIP IN THE PAST
BUT NOW TAKE A DIM VIEW OF CGT SUPPORT OF THE COMMUNISTS
IN PORTUGAL, AND ARE ALSO DISTURBED BY THE CGT'S
UNWILLINGNESS TO MODIFY ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH THE
COMMUNIST WFTU. HERETOFORE, VETTER AND THE FERMAN
DGB HAVE BEEN ISOLATED WITH THE FRENCH FO IN THEIR
OPPOSITION OT THE CGT. FOR THE TIME BEING, VETTER SEEMS
TO BE IN THE DRIVERS SEAT AND IN THE VIEW OF MOST LABOR
OBSERVERS HERE, THE CGT MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION HAS BEEN
EFFECTIVELY SIDETRACKED FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE
BARRING ANY DRAMATIC CHANGES.
4. THE HIGHEST PRIORITY ITEM ON THE SEPTEMBER 26
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA WILL BE THE QUESTION
OF FILLING VACANCIES AT THE ETUC SECRETARIAT. THE
COMMITTEE IS EXPECTED TO APPOINT A NEW ASSISTANT SECRETARY
LIMITED OFFICIAL USE
LIMITED OFFICIAL USE
PAGE 03 EC BRU 08298 171845Z
TO REPLACE THE LATE ALFRED MISSLIN WHO DIED LAST
FEBRUARY. THE ABSENCE O FMISSLIN, WHO WAS CONSIDERED
THE WORK HORSE OF THE ETUC STAFF, HAS BEEN DOUBLY
FELT BECAUSE OF THE SERIOUS ILLNESS OF ASSISTANT
SECRETARY WALTER BRAUN WHO HAS BEEN ABSENT FROM BRUSSELS
FOR SEVERAL WEEKS. THERE IS SOME DOUBT THAT BRAUN,
WHO UNDERWENT MAJOR SURGERY, WILL BE ABLE TO RETURN.
THEO RASSCHAERT CONTINUES TO FUNCTION AS GENERAL
SECRETARY, BUT WITH HIS RESIGNATION ALREADY ACCEPTED
AND HIS YEAR END DEPARTURE CERTAIN, HIS PERFORMANCE,
HARDLY AWE INSPIRING UNDER THE BEST OF CIRCUMSTANCES,
REFLECTS THE LAME DUCK NATURE OF HIS STATUS. THIS
LEAVES KULAKOWSKI AND THE INEFFECTIVE ASSISTANT GENERAL
SECRETARY, PEER CARLSEN, AS THE ONLY FULLY FUNCTIONING
SECRETARIAT OFFICIALS AND BARELY ABLE TO COPE WITH
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS OF THE ORGANIZATION.
5. REGARDING THE SUCCESSOR TO RASSCHAERT, KULAKOWSKI
TOLD US THAT HE IS NOT A CANDIDATE FOR THE JOB ALTHOUGH
HE WOULD BE WILLING TO SERVE IF CHOSEN BY THE EXECUTIVE
COMMITTEE. HOWEVER, HE THINKS THER IS LITTE CHANCE
OF THIS OCCURRING BECAUSE OF HIS CHRISTIAN TRADE UNION
ANTECEDENTS. HE ALSO TOLD US THAT CARLSEN IS ACTIVELY
SEEKING THE JOB ALTHOUGH HE HAS BEEN UNABLE TO DETECT
ANY REAL ENTHUSIASM FOR CARLSEN'S CANDIDACY OUTSIDE THE
LATTER'S NATIVE DANISH LO. LULAKOWSKI EXPECTES THE
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE TO AT LEAST NAME A REPLACEMENT FOR
MISSLIN AT THE GENEVA MEETING, BUT HE IS SOMEWHAT
DOUBLFUL THAT A SUCCESSOR FOR RASSCHAERT WILL BE CHOSEN
BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR.
6. MUCH OF THE SEPTEMBER 26 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING
WILL BE DEVOTED TO PREPARATION FOR THE PROPOSED EC
TRIPARTITE CONFERENCE ON EMPLOYMENT WHICH THE ETUC
HAS ADVOCATED FOR MORE THAN A YEAR. LAST JULY, THE
EUROPEAN COUNCIL "ACCEPTED THE IDEA" OF HOLDING THE
CONFERENCE, WHICH WOULD INVOLVE REPRESENTATIVES OF
TRADE UNIONS AND EMPLOYER ORGANIZATIONS AND THE
MINISTERS OF LABOR AND FINANCE FROM THE NINE MEMBER
STATES (SEE EC BRUSSELS 6426). THE COUNCIL DID NOT
SPECIFY A DATE FOR THE CONFERENCE BUT THE ETUC HAS
LIMITED OFFICIAL USE
LIMITED OFFICIAL USE
PAGE 04 EC BRU 08298 171845Z
RECOMMENDED THAT IT BE HELD IN DECEMBER.
GREENWALD
LIMITED OFFICIAL USE
NNN